Apparatus for drying and cooling fabrics



May 11, 1948. H. HIBBERT 4 APPARATUS ma DRYiNG ANDGOOLINVG mamas Filad July 28, 19:59 a Sheets-Sheet 1 .rA va/vro R HA ROLO f/IBBQRT ATTORF/6 y May 11, 1948 HQHIBBERT APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND COOLING FABRICS Filed July 28, 1939 z/vveMToR B v HAROLD H/BBERT ATToR/VQY May 11, 1948.- H. HIBBERT APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND COOLING FABRICS Filed July 28, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Llllll l l l l ll l l'lll lllull'lllul l n l h l h fl l l l :I II |H|.. H M I I W l Q yvealo Mower Patented May 11, 1948 APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND COOLING FABRICS Harold Hibbert. Darwen, England, assignor of one-half to Joseph Hibbert & Company Limitcd, Darwen, England Application July 28, 1939, Serial No. 286,959 In Great Britain July 30, 1938 Section 3, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 tent expires July 30, 1958 1 Claim. (CI. 34-47) This invention has reference to apparatus for drying fabrics and yarns, of the kind in which heated air is circulated through a drying chamber through which the fabric or the yarn, in the form of a sheet, is passed, the air being re-circulated through the drying chamber and suitable heaters except for a desired proportion which is allowed to escape and is made up by a corresponding amount of fresh air drawn from atmosphere.

The object of the invention is to provide in an apparatus of the kind referred to, improved means for cooling the dried and heated fabric or yarn issuing from the drying chamber, and to a corresponding extent pre-heating the fresh air drawn by thefan from the outside atmosphere.

According to the invention the fan is adapted to draw its supply of fresh air from the outside atmosphere over the surface of or through the dried and heated fabric, or the sheet of yarn, issuing from the drying chamber, the quantity of such air so drawn by the fan being regulated according to the conditions obtaining in the drying chamber. Preferably, the'regulation of the air so drawn by the fan is effected by means of a valve or damper controlled by a thermostat and/or hygrostat.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic part longitudinal section of a drying apparatus for drying yarn in sheet form, comprising one embodiment of the invention, but otherwise of known construction, Fig. 2 is a section plan of Fig. 1 on the. line II-II therein, Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1, Figs. 4 and 5 are, respectively, a fragmentary elevation partly broken away, and a fragmentary plan of the easing, hereinafter more particularly referred to, through which the sheet of yarn passes after it issues from the drying chamber of the apparatus, and Fig. 6 is a broken side elevation of a complete apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus illustrated comprises a structure 6 divided by a partition 1 into an upper portion 8 which constitutes the drying chamber and a'lower portion 9 in which are arranged the fan It for circulating the air and pre-heaters II and main heaters l2 and their necessary appurtenances for heating the air. The suction of the fan I0 is in communication with the drying chamber 8 through passage 8a, and also, by way of the pre-heaters H, with the compartment l 3 in which the pre-heaters are situated. The discharge from the fan is adapted to be passed through the main heaters l2 into the drying chamber 8, in the manner shown in Fig. 6, or direct to atmosphere by way of an exhaust duct H, the discharge being controlled by a damper operable by a lever [5. The yarn to be dried enters the drying chamber 8 in the form of a sheet of ends, at the right-hand end of the chamber inFigs. 1, 2 and 6 and after passing to and fro over guide rollers l6l6, the sheet issues from the chamber at the top of the lefthand end thereof and then passes downward over a guide roller l'l. The travel of the sheet of yarn through the drying chamber is effected in the known way by the driving of the roller or beam on which it is subsequently wound.

The apparatus so far briefly described is of known construction, arrangement and operation and further detailed description is, therefore, un-

necessary.

After passing over the guide roller H the sheet of yarn passes through a vertical open-ended casing l8 which is formed intermediate its ends with a throat-piece I! by means of which it is mounted on the end of the structure 6 and also communicates with the compartment l3.

It will be apparent that theian I 0 will draw fresh air from atmosphere into the compartment I 3 by way of the casing l8 and throat-piece l9 which air passing over the surface of and through the sheet of yarn travelling through the casing [8 will cool the yarn and be to a corresponding extent pre-heated before entering the compartment I3.

For regulating the quantity of fresh air drawn in through the casing l8 and throat-piece ii! there is provided in the latter a pivoted damper 20. This damper may be operated manually by means-of-a hand lever 2i (Figs. 4 and 5) fixed on the pivot of the damper and formed with a slot 22 co-operating with a stud 23 proiecting from the side of the throat-piece iii to limit its maximum open and closed position. A handled clamping nut 24 on the stud 23 serves to clamp the damper in desired adjusted positions.

Preferably, the damper 20 is adapted to be adjusted to regulate the quantity of fresh air drawn in by the fan, automatically according to the temperature or humidity conditions obtaining in the drying chamber 8. To this end and as shown in Fig. 3, a thermostat or humidostat 25 may be located in the upper part of the drying chamber and be connected with an electric motor 26, the armature of which is coupled to the spindle of the damper, so as to control the motor, in manner already well known, to increase the opening of the damper when the temperature or humidity of the air in the drying chamber exceeds a pre-determined normal and to reduce the opening of the damper when the temperature or humidity falls.

I claim:

A material drying apparatus comprising in combination, a drying chamber, a cooling chamher having an opening to the atmosphere formed therein, means for moving web material to be dried successively through said drying chamber and said cooling chamber, a heating chamber in communication with said drying chamber, an outlet for moist air from the drying chamber. a fan having its intake connected to said outlet for moist air and to said cooling chamber and its exhaust connected to said heating chamber for drawing air from said drying chamber and said cooling chamber and forcing it through said heating chamber into said drying chamber, means for determining a condition of the air in said drying chamber and means operated byv said last mentioned means for automatically regulating the amount'of air drawn from said cooling chamber.

HAROLD HIBBERT.

4 nnrnnnncas crrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

